Window Care & Maintenance

Care & Maintenance Instructions For Gorell Windows and Doors

Do you have questions about your new Gorell windows or doors? Below are the questions—with answers from Gorell’s team of experts—that we most often get from homeowners. If your question is not answered here, please e-mail us at info@gorell.com. We are confident you will enjoy your new Gorell windows or doors for decades to come!

How do I maintain and clean my Gorell windows and doors?

You’ll be amazed at how easy Gorell windows and doors are to clean. Also, they require practically no maintenance. Use any window cleaner to clean the glass surface of Gorell products. Premium-quality Gorell vinyl comes clean with any mild detergent or simply soapy water.

Gorell products typically require no lubrication. In rare cases where conditions do require lubrication of metallic parts, Gorell recommends that you use light machine oil sparingly.

Can items such as the hanging apparatus for mini-blinds and window and door coverings be attached to Gorell products without affecting the warranty on the products?

In general, you can attach these types of items to the vinyl frames of Gorell products as long as they don’t interfere with the operation of the products, such as drainage of water to the outside. Be certain to select only fasteners (screws, adhesives, etc.) that are appropriate for the weight and properties of the vinyl. Note also that nothing should ever be attached to the sill area of a Gorell window or door. Depending on the situation, it is possible to void part or all of the product warranty by making modifications.

Can I stain Gorell vinyl windows?

Gorell vinyl windows are made with a specially formulated, top-quality vinyl that results in a smooth satin finish—which eliminates the need for painting or staining. In addition, Gorell offers numerous colors and laminate wood-like finishes to provide homeowners with many options for customization. The surfaces of Gorell products do not readily accept stains because they are too dense to allow the pigments to penetrate. Gorell does not recommend painting or staining its vinyl products because it is also possible that paints, stains or solvents may damage the weather stripping, glazing materials and hardware parts.

The top sash of my new double-hung window won’t stay up—I put it up and then it slowly slides down. How can I keep the top sash in place?

Often times the top sash is not pushed completely in place to allow the retaining lip to engage the weather-stripping and hold it in place. Make sure the sash is completely raised to eliminate potential drifting. In addition, because Gorell double-hung windows are made to provide easy fingertip operation, it is possible that the sashes will sometimes drop slightly. Gorell recommends contacting your local installing dealer for any service needs.

If you prefer to reduce the sash drift yourself, use a flat-head screwdriver to turn the built-in frame adjusters (located at the mid-height of the jamb). Rotate the screw a ¼ turn at a time until the sash stays in position. Do not adjust the Phillips-head screws in the jambs. Gorell also offers a tensioning pack that can be added by your dealer if necessary. This pack is equipped with its own tool.

The top sash on my double-hung window just falls down when it is not locked. How can I fix this problem?

Gorell windows employ one of the finest and most stable window balance systems in the world—constant force balancing. In rare cases, the connecting pivot bar can become dislodged from the balance shoe. This small bar—located on the bottom corners of the sash—must slide into the white nylon housing with the black cam located in the side of the window’s frame. If it is not connected to the cam, use a Phillips screwdriver to loosen the screw, then retract the pivot bar. Align the bar with the black cam, insert it and tighten the pivot bar screw.

I currently have Gorell aluminum storm windows or doors. I am repainting my house and would like to repaint the storm windows/doors the same color. Do you recommend using the same paint—which will be applied by brush—or do you have another suggestion?

Gorell storm products are specially treated with a factory-applied, baked-on finish for a smooth and sleek appearance. Before you paint over them, Gorell suggests stopping by a local paint shop and speaking with a paint professional. Most paint suppliers can provide a recommended procedure for repainting finished aluminum. Most likely, the steps and materials will differ from those used to paint your house. It is very important the paint solvents do not come in contact with the glazing gaskets or weather-strips.

I have 5300 Series double-hung windows with full screens. How do I remove the screens from the windows?

To remove the screen, grasp the lift rail at the bottom and the spreader bar in the center. Simply push to the left side and swing the screen outward. Please be careful not to force the screen out—excessive force will bend the screen.

Why is there moisture at the center of the window or near the bottom handle on the interior of my window?

Some moisture (condensation) on cold days at the meeting rail is normal and is actually an indication that your windows are performing correctly. The condensation you are seeing on the window is simply water from the home’s atmosphere. Quite often adding new windows, insulation, siding or roofing tightens the “envelope” of your home, which changes the moisture vapor exchange rate of the home. This resulting airborne water then becomes visible on any surface that will not absorb it—such as vinyl, glass or ceramic. It is the same concept as fog on a bathroom mirror or frost on a car window. Neither the mirror nor the car causes the problem; they simply let you see the moisture present. There are several ways to minimize this condensation, such as lowering the humidity in your home, increasing air movement within your home, or increasing the air exchange rate from interior to exterior.

For more information, click here to read “Condensation Causes and Cures.”

Why is there moisture on the exterior glass of my new windows?

This is a testament to how well your high-performance glass system is working!
Condensation occurs when moist air comes into contact with cool surfaces—such as glass—and the dew point temperature is reached. Low-emissivity glass is designed to reduce heat conduction through the glass unit, thus keeping heat in your home on cold days. With this improved performance, the surface temperature of the exterior glass remains cool—and the moist air in contact with that cold outer glass turns into condensation. This is not a fault of the insulating glass—it actually indicates how well the Low-E glass is working. The moisture will evaporate once the sun warms up the outside glass surface.

What is the best way to clean my Gorell windows?

Gorell products are known nationwide for their ease of cleaning—because they require less time and effort to clean than other windows. Use any window cleaner to clean the glass surface of Gorell products. Premium-quality, super-smooth Gorell vinyl comes clean with a mild detergent and warm water.

To remove any stubborn marks from the vinyl surfaces of your window or door, Gorell suggests using Barkeepers Friend. This mild abrasive will usually remove any marks, but it may leave a white film that can then be removed with de-natured alcohol.

We have a Gorell hinged door with screen, and the screen barely fits over the opening. Is it possible to have it made a little wider?

Gorell swing doors feature unique top-hung vinyl screens that provide a perfect color match as well as easy operation. In the case of 3-lite doors, they’re offered in standard sizes, and you can set the stop position by adding a stop in the top track. Gorell can build custom-sized screens as a replacement part if you desire, but a larger screen width will reduce the clear opening of the door when the screen is in the open position.

Where can I find U-value and Solar Heat Gain values for Gorell products?

Gorell manufactures a myriad of ENERGY STAR® qualified products that provide excellent thermal efficiency. To qualify for the label, these products were tested to meet stringent criteria established by the National Fenestration Ratings Council. U-value and Solar Heat Gain data for most Gorell products can be found on the NFRC web site at www.nfrc.org.

Does Gorell’s warranty cover holes in the screen?

Gorell does not warrant the screen cloth for holes. However, Gorell’s screen cloth is easily repaired by re-rolling new cloth into the existing frame. Many window dealers offer this service.

Whom should I contact for service issues regarding my Gorell windows?

Gorell is highly selective in choosing window professionals to offer, install and service its products. Gorell strives to select dealers that share its business philosophy of offering the highest-quality products and excellent customer service.
You should contact the Gorell dealer from whom you purchased the windows and doors. The company will be able to address any product questions or installation issues you have. If that dealer is no longer available or you don’t recall the name, e-mail info@gorell.com with the Gorell job number and Gorell will locate the dealer for you.

The Gorell job number, similar to a serial number, is a unique number assigned to each order of windows Gorell manufactures. To find this number, locate the permanent sticker that Gorell applies to all windows it builds. In a vertically operating window, you will need to lower the top sash to reveal the hidden sticker. The sticker will be in the top of the window frame section, in the pocket that the top sash was in. On a horizontally operating window, you will need to open the primary sash to reveal the sticker in the top of the window frame. There will be a series of numbers on this sticker. You are looking for either a six-digit number beginning with 0, 1 or 2 OR an eight-digit number beginning with 2 or 3.

You can also locate the Gorell job number on the back of the warranty you received when you registered your products.